The Awkward Tribute
by PunnyPunkin
Summary: Marina is an awkward bookworm of District 4. She had no friends, so when she's chosen as Tribute she has to not only learn basic survival skills, but this independent girl has to put her life in the hands of a boy she barely knows.
1. Chapter 1

The classroom was boarding smoldering from the heat of both bodies and the sun. District 4 never had a cold day and in the birth of summer everyone was anxious to run out of class and into the cool serenity of the ocean. Finnick couldn't stop fidgeting in his seat, tapping the end of the pencil on his desk as he watched the clock above the teacher's head, whispering sweet promises to the minute hand if it would just move faster.

Finnick looked away from the clock just long enough to look out the window and stare out at the ocean, the white crested waves rolling into the sandy shore and receding back into the sparkling depths. He could almost feel the cool salt water rushing over him; see the multicolored fish darting around like spears to avoid his shadow fearing a shark or whale. He sighed, wanting nothing more than to run out and dive off the docks right into that big blue.

"Is there something more interesting than my lesson," the teacher started and Finnick tense thinking he had been caught until he continued with, "Ms. Cove?" Everyone turned their head to look to the center back row. Marina Cove, the daughter of a meager net-mender who had never really spoken a word throughout the year. Finnick had even forgotten she was in his class at all, he knew more about her father than he did her. She was a very plain looking girl, dark unbrushed hair wind-blown around her face and yet to be rearranged and large dark eyes that were only vaguely visible from behind the mass of hair on her head. She peeked over the edge of her book, glancing at all the eyes on her as she shifted in her seat.

"Uh," she replied sitting up a bit more and waving a hand through her hair tousling it even more. She wore a loose tank that revealed the strings of her bathing suit and long shorts, more cloth than some of the other female students wore and worn and tattered sneaker that squeaked when she moved her feet. "I mean, you're really interesting and all I just, uh, I like know this already so I thought um I could just," she shrugged, "read."

"Oh, oh you _know_ all this? And how would you _know_ it if I hadn't _taught_ it?" The students looked from the teacher to the squeamish girl who looked extremely awkward wiggling in her seat in clothes that were too big and a mouth that couldn't seem to work right. She looked around nervously, glancing at all the students watching her and then up to the front of the room where the teacher stood with arms crossed over his chest. Marina pointed confusedly to the board behind the teacher, her head tilted as she dumbly responded,

"You- You just taught it." Finnick grinned and covered his mouth from laughing with the rest of the class. The teacher's arms fell to his side, spluttering over a response that would recover him from the blunder but the bell rang and everyone shot out of their seats like bullets, darting quickly for the door as the teacher called over their head an assignment he wanted after the Reaping. School would be out tomorrow, the Reaping always allowed school to be cancelled because everyone had to be in the Square for the drawing. Finnick grabbed his bag and looked over his shoulder to talk to Marina, the girl who silenced the teacher, but she was already gone. He frowned a bit and caught her just sneaking out of the classroom. He quickly pushed himself from the desk and hurried out after her, but somewhere between watching her walk out the door and him getting to the door, she had disappeared.

"Finnick! Hey Finnick we're going spear fishing, you in?" Titus called waving a hand over his head to get Finnick's attention. Finnick looked at the other teen boy then down either side of the hallway trying to find Marina, but he gave up quickly at the promise of spear fishing and hurried out to his friends. After all, he was young and he was in a prominent and gorgeous District. What did he have to be worried about?

"Meet your Tributes!" his voice was thunder in the microphone, the smile on his face echoed in his colored accented voice. His blue lips forming the names easily and the girl smiling proudly beside him, ready to face the world of an arena no matter the cost. A stunning and strong sixteen years old with hair of golden sand and eyes of stormy grey, she stood a great chance at winning.

"And Finnick Odair!" All eyes were on him, the fourteen year-old boy trying to hide his trembling hands and look as brave as the girl beside him. Finnick scanned the crowd seeing the smiles on his friends' faces. It was a great privilege to be chosen for the Games, but he didn't find any comfort in the smiling face and cheerful clapping of his friends. He found worry in his mother's eyes and heartache in his father's frown. Finnick gulped as he glanced to the women's side of Tributes and for a secret moment his eyes met Marina's dark eyes. She looked up from her feet, her dark hair blowing freely in the wind, across her young face and she smiled at him. He felt a laugh bubble in his chest when she quickly, awkwardly smiled and held up two thumbs up to him. He only found comfort in that simple gesture from a girl he didn't even know, because she seemed to be the only one that knew what he needed: luck.


	2. Chapter 2

Finnick stepped off the train, but not to cameras and to clusters of family and friends. Not this time, Finnick had won the Games two years before and had his time in the spotlight, no, this time he was coming home from the Capitol to the silent Justice Building of the quiet District. His legs shook under him as he stepped off the train and walked, ignoring the Peacekeepers that asked if he was alright or warned him about the oncoming curfew. He had bigger problems than curfew, he had more things rolling in his head than fish in the ocean he once found such great solace in.

Finnick's bag dragged behind him, his hand clutching the strap in a white knuckled grip as he pulled it lazily behind him. He felt used and dirty, he had a sickness rolling around in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea winning would cost so much, if he would have known he doubted he would have worked so hard to win, but Snow made it clear. He was of age and either he did as he was told like a good boy or his mother, father everyone he so much as smiled at here would be dead before he blinked.

The hum of the waves dragging across the beach numbed his thoughts, he felt a bit safer as he pulled off his shoes to feel the cold sand on the bottoms of his feet. No one was on the beach, it was cleared for curfew and only the daring would be out of their homes much longer. The Victor's Village was in the opposite direction, but Finnick walked closer to the beach, closer to the waves. He felt dirty, he had a slime covering him he couldn't shake and he wanted nothing more than to walk into the ocean and never walk back out.

The bag lay behind him, forgotten on the sand as the water reached out to Finnick's ankles, sliding up his calves as he walked further into the waves. He could only hear the heavy pants of the Capitol, the breathy moans of his names and sickening touch of their painted nails on his back and arms. He wanted to wash it all off, wash the kisses, the nips, the touches- he would drown in the memories alone if he didn't get it off him. It wasn't worth surviving if all he had to look forward to was more and more beds, more and more nights of faking smiles and feeling the slime grow. If had to go back he didn't know what he'd do, he couldn't go back. He couldn't be a Mentor; he couldn't be a Capitol whore. He just couldn't anymore.

It would have been a peaceful way to go, somewhere along his walk he had found a private beach. No Peacekeepers would see him on their round; no one would find him for hours maybe even days. Moonlight sparkled over the glassy surface of the ocean, darkness stretching just beneath the surface. As a wave washed over his torso, the icy water stealing the breath right out of him, he wondered if the ocean would take him anymore. He was once pure and free, clean and fresh but now he was used and dirty, filthy in every sense of the word. Would anyone take him now? Would anyone love him the way they had before, another rough wave pushed Finnick back. And another, another, wave after wave shoving him back towards shore. Finnick's eyes blurred with tears, his heart broke as he stumbled back into the shallows and onto the sand. His tears burned like fire as they rolled down his cheeks, he dug his fingers into the wet sand gripping fistfuls tight.

His only home was in that ocean, surfing the waves with dolphins and spearing fish with his friends. Not only a week ago he was pulling in net after net of fish and shellfish with Titus and Victoria and Seamus, and now he was sitting in the dark alone on a deserted beach waiting for someone to drag him away and lock him up. A violent shiver broke over Finnick as a cool wind wrapped around his soaked body, sending goosebumps along his arms as he hugged his knees to quiet his sobs. He had gone from strong Victor to worthless slave in two years. What would he tell his mother? What would she think about his activities in the Capitol? He couldn't tell her he was doing it for her safety, he couldn't put that heavy a blame on the woman that gave him everything. But he couldn't just pretend he had wanted it, either. He didn't. He didn't want any of it. None of the fame or the money and he certainly didn't want anything to do with those filthy Capitol women.

Finnick shivered again as his sadness turned into a rage. Snow had played him for a fool, given him and his family everything but for a price Finnick didn't even know about until he signed for everything in blood. The blood of kids from other Districts, the blood of his own neighbor.

A blanket fell over his shoulders making Finnick jump and look over his shoulder. He frowned in confusion when he saw Marina Cove standing behind him, adjusting the quilt over his broad shoulders as she stood quietly in a shirt three sizes too big and pants more patches and rags than anything else. Her hair still hadn't been brushed but instead was pulled into a mass of tangled bands behind her head, the bun bobbing lazily as she shifted to look down at him.

"You look really cold," she explained smoothing the quilt along his shoulders, "it's my mom's. I wasn't going to say anything, you looked like you were in-," she gestured absently around her head, "like deep in thought or something." Finnick eyed her curiously, standing there in her awkward stance, ankles crossed and her fingers wringing around and entangling in themselves as she looked everywhere but at Finnick. She blew at a strand of hair that fell in her face and he spared a forced smile as he hugged the quilt closer.

"Did you follow me from the Justice Building then?" he teased stiffly. Marina's eyes widened in a panic and she went to shake her hands at him, but somehow instead managed to try and take a step back with her feet still crossed. She got half a word out before she fell backwards and landed with a grunt in the sand. Finnick glanced over his shoulder at her, finding her hair wildly blowing around her face as more had fallen from the halfhearted attempt at putting it up. Marina sighed, more used to her own clumsiness than anything, and tugged her hair out of the bands.

"I live up there. I looked out my window and saw you in the water. I was thinking about coming out then to get you," she admitted scooting down the beach to sit beside Finnick and look out over the now placid sea. Finnick didn't look at her, he couldn't look at any woman the same now. Not yet anyway. He didn't even really want to see anyone but the good thing about Marina was that she hardly ever looked like a girl. She was always a mass of hair and baggy clothes. He could look at her and see nothing. She wasn't all that pretty, she wasn't at all flirty and was as bad with words as she was with actions.

"But?" he asked urging her to continue with her thought. She blinked and looked at him with a dumb sounding,

"Huh?" He rolled his eyes as she recovered, "Oh right um yeah I didn't come get you because well um," she snorted a laugh, "I can't like swim so I figured I'd just be um more of a burden, like a sandbag rather than like a floatie. Besides, if you wanted to kill yourself who was I to stop you? Not that I thought you were trying to kill yourself or anything!" Finnick looked at her for a moment, but that look was all it took for Marina to read everything that had happened. His need to lean into the ocean and never crawl out, his heartache over being rejected by the only place he felt at home. Her dark eyes softened and she looked at her feet with a soft, "Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh.'" Finnick looked back out over the sea, listening to it whisper along the sea. He tensed when Marina innocently reached out to curl her hand around his, it wasn't like when other girls took his hand. She didn't tickle his palm or try to push her fingers between his, she wasn't trying to be coy or romantic she was telling him she was there. She was solid and she was listening and she wasn't going to leave him. He glanced at her to see she wasn't looking at him, she was looking at his hand, trembling under hers and then his cheeks where the tears still glistened in the bright moonlight. He hated the moon at that moment, he hated the light for giving him away when he wanted to seem angry or careless. Marina dropped her eyes again, her hair hiding her face from him. "Snow sold me, like some freshly cleaned trout," he didn't know why he told her that. He didn't know why he was telling anyone, he just wanted it to go away, but it was boiling inside him and he felt if he didn't let it out he would drown. "He's selling me to the highest bidder and- tell me Cove," he looked at her almost daring her as she stared at him with large eyes, "how are you going to fix that?" She ducked her eyes and didn't say a word. He waited, almost hopeful that she would find the right words for just once to make everything work. But she didn't say anything at all.

Finnick ducked his head and hugged his knees tighter, tearing his hand from hers roughly as he muttered under his breath. Marina looked at him and her hand still hovering over where his had once been before sighing,

"I can't fix it, I'm not like good with words or people but- maybe um I don't know, talking to me?" she looked at him, pulling her hair out of her face when he looked at her, "Maybe talking will help, I- I really just want to help. If I can, that is."


End file.
